Artist To Watch: Palomino Blitz

Photo: Alexandra Dean Grossi

You’ve got to check out the band, Palomino Blitz!

Their music is creative and fun and the lyrics tell unusual tales that stick in your mind long after the song ends. They’re from Rome, Italy of all places, but lead singer, Mia Julia is half-American, that’s why you won’t detect a hint of an accent. In fact, her voice sounds much like Gwen Stefani in some songs and like Shirley Manson in others.

They’ve just produced their first album, “Nothing Wrong” coming soon to iTunes. In the meantime ,you can hear the whole album on their myspace: www.myspace.com/palominoblitz. Highlights are “I Can’t Recall” “Your Playground” “Nothing Wrong” and “Come and Go.”

This is definitely a band to watch!

Simon Cowell’s Haiti Charity Song Expected To Be Huge in The U.K.

A cover of R.E.M.’s 1992 classic “Everybody Hurts,” produced by Simon Cowell and re-recorded to help the victims of last month’s natural disaster in Haiti, is predicted to be a huge hit in the United Kingdom. It has even been said that it will most likely be Britain’s biggest-selling single in 10 years.

Stars that lent their voices to the single, include Kylie Minogue, Leona Lewis, Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, and Susan Boyle.

The track was released on Tuesday, but is expected to go platinum across the pond by the end of the week.

New Music: Shontelle ‘Impossible’

For those of you who may not know who Shontelle is, she’s often compared to Rihanna because she is also from Barbados. This past year her first single ‘T-Shirt’ was released in the US with mild success.

Shontelle’s new single ‘Impossible’ is a ballad produced by Stargate off of her upcoming sophomore album.

Check out ‘Impossible’ –

Boyle And Bocelli Battle For No. 1

On next week’s Billboard 200 albums chart, the sweet sounds of Susan Boyle’s album I Dreamed a Dream may be replaced by the holiday tunes of Andrea Bocelli as the latter’s My Christmas set could rise to the top.

Boyle is going toe-to-toe with Bocelli for the top slot and each artist’s album could shift somewhere between 375,000 and 400,000 copies by week’s end on Dec. 6. If Bocelli reaches No. 1, it will be the Italian’s tenor’s first chart-topping set. “My Christmas” has been lodged in the No. 2 slot for the past three weeks after debuting at No. 3 a month ago.

Boyle’s I Dreamed a Dream rocked the Billboard 200 this past week when it bowed atop the tally with the year’s best sales frame for an album this year, shifting 701,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Pete Doherty Apologizes For Nazi Anthem

Troubled rocker Pete Doherty has apologized to fans after he was booed offstage for singing a Nazi anthem at a German music festival on Saturday.

The Babyshambles front man was performing at Munich’s on3 when he infuriated concertgoers by singing Deutschland Uber Alles, a section of the country’s national anthem that once was used for German propaganda under Nazi rule. He was subjected to loud booing before festival organizers led him from the stage.

The controversial verse has been prohibited since World War II due to its Nazi association – but a spokesperson for the rocker insists Doherty was “unaware” of the mistake he’d made.

The rep tells Sky News, “(Doherty) wanted to celebrate his appearance in Munich by assimilating and integrating with the crowd, something he tries do wherever he goes. He was unaware of the controversy surrounding the German national anthem and he deeply apologizes if he has caused any offense.”

“Peter himself is from Jewish descent and has fought against racism and fascism with numerous organizations including Love Music Hate Racism. This is a subject he feels very strongly about.”

Bavarian broadcasters Bayerischer Rundfunk, who were airing the concert live, pulled the show from the airwaves moments after Doherty began the track.

Susan Boyle Sets Record With Album Pre-Order On Amazon

The upcoming debut album by British singing sensation Susan Boyle has become the largest global CD pre-order in the history of Amazon.com, the online retailer said on Thursday.

Boyle’s album “I Dreamed a Dream” will be released on November 24 by Sony Music Entertainment. It is the first album since the dowdy 48 year-old church volunteer from Scotland took the Internet by storm with her unlikely star turn on the TV show “Britain’s Got Talent” in April.

Amazon said that Boyle’s album was not only the top CD pre-order in the United States, but also the biggest around the world in the 14-year history of it’s web site.

Amazon declined to give their pre-order figures but said “I Dreamed a Dream” surpassed the 2008 record held by “Supermarket Fantasy” from Japanese rock band Mr. Children, 2007’s “Not Too Late” by U.S. singer Norah Jones, and British group Take That’s “Never Forget: The Ultimate Collection” in 2008.

“Susan’s album is clearly capturing the hearts of our customers around the globe,” said Craig Pape, senior manager of music at Amazon.com.

Will you be picking up a copy?

Robbie Williams Tops European Albums Chart

Robbie Williams makes a winning return to Billboard’s European Albums chart, debuting at No. 1 with “Reality Killed The Video Star” (Virgin/EMI). On European Hot 100 Singles, Black Eyed Peas scores another chart-topper, moving 2-1 with “I Gotta Feeling” (Interscope/Universal).

“Reality Killed The Video Star” does, however, score No. 1 debuts in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Holland, also arriving at No. 2 in Italy and the Czech Republic, No. 3 in Denmark, No. 6 in Norway and Ireland and No. 7 in Portugal.

2010 Billboard Latin Awards Move To Puerto Rico

For the first time in its more than 20-year history, the 2010 Billboard Latin Music Awards will take place in Puerto Rico, marking the first time the show goes on the road from its traditional Miami homebase. The awards, presented by State Farm, will be broadcast live on April 29, 2010, by the Telemundo network.

As part of the agreement signed between Telemundo, Billboard and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, Billboard’s Latin Music Conference will take place April 26 to April 29 at the Conrad, San Juan, Condado Plaza in Puerto Rico.

The announcement, welcome by top Latin artists around the world, was made this morning during a press conference at the new Coliseo de Puerto Rico, where the awards will take place.

“I celebrate with great joy the fact that Puerto Rico will be the location for the Billboard Latin Music Awards,” said Colombian singer Juanes. “All the music in the region, in the island of music. Go Puerto Rico!”

Mexico’s Paulina Rubio labeled the move an “inspiring decision” while Enrique Iglesias said, “What great news, the Billboard Latin music awards in the island. I’m sure that they will be historic.”

This marks not only the first time the Billboard awards move to Puerto Rico, but also the first time any major Latin music awards takes place in that country, one of the hotbeds of Latin music. Of the 17 artists that have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart in the past 12 months, for example, five – nearly a third – are Puerto Rican acts with vast Puerto Rican sales base.

“My island has always been witness to important musical events and for it to be the location for the 2010 Billboard Latin Music Awards brings great pride to our culture,” said Ricky Martin.

Rihanna To Perform On “The X-Factor” Nov. 22

Great news, Brits: Pop’s Bajan princess Rihanna is set to perform on the British talent show The X-Factor later this month. The “Disturbia” hitmaker will belt out her new single “Russian Roulette” from her forthcoming album, Rated R, on a program airing Nov. 22.

“I am beyond excited – it was the easiest decision I’ve ever made. A lot of people watch the show over here (in America) on YouTube and I personally caught a lot of it when Leona Lewis was on, who’s an amazing artist,” Rihanna said Wednesday. “So, to say yes to (show boss) Simon (Cowell) was an honor, especially as I know the show so well.”

Alexandra Burke and Cheryl Cole are also expected to perform on the results show. Meanwhile, Rihanna’s fourth studio album is slated for release the day after her X-Factor appearance.

Album Preview: Justin Bieber ‘My World’

Justin Bieber’s debut album My World isn’t due out in stores until November 17th, but we’ve got a preview for you to check out.

This YouTube star has become an overnight sensation!

Check out this preview of My World –

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